COOPERSTOWN —
From the Otsego Herald for Saturday, May 26, 1810 Compiled, with comments
BY HUGH C. MACDOUGALL
PERSONALITY
We have ever been cautious of printing any thing in the Herald whereby personal character might be injured and our neighbor-in-law’s personal character has ever been free from blot by us. His political conduct has invited a different treatment; but altho’ he has raked the jakes of scandal to pick out some dirty thing with which he hopes to bedaub us, he may be assured we shall never follow such a dirty example.
COMMENT: This editorial presumably refers to the editorial by editor John Prentiss which appeared in the May 19, 1810, issue of the Cooperstown Federalist (ancestor of The Freeman’s Journal), presumably intended as a direct attack on the Otsego Herald’s editor Elihu Phinney (``the little animal near us’’), to which Phinney is now replying.
``Jakes,’’ was a standard slang name for an outhouse or privy. It ran as follows: ``To establish and support a dirty cause, requires dirty means and dirty instruments.
When a low bred fellow, to gratify the mean propensities of his nature, wishes to bespatter his neighbour with filth, he employs, as assailants in the business, those whose habits are not opposed to the undertaking, and whose clothes will not be soiled in the execution.
``Those only of the lowest origin, whose ideas extend no higher than the dung-hill, can be persuaded in a work of this kind, and these would rummage a jakes (privy), with the same readiness that they would decorate a parlour, and wallow in the shambles (slaughter-house) with as much pleasure as in participating of a splendid festival.
Decent people, whose habiliments and hands are clean, are shocked by such impurities, and with horror fly from the pollution.
``As the external actions and appearance may be debased, so the temper and qualifications of the mind are often correspondent. We find some possessing neither taste, sensibility, nor shame, incapable of manly sentiment, prone to sudden gusts of passion, disgusting those near them with their ribaldry, venting their impotent malice in a torrent of vulgar abuse, bestowing unmeaning epithets, and railing indiscriminately at all around them.
``These observations forcibly apply to the little animal near us. But the ravings of a maniac, just on the verge of the grave, are unworthy of notice, therefore we take a final leave of him -- `Go, poor devil, we wish not to hurt a hair of thy weak head’ -- there’s room enough in the world both for you and those who are not emulous of vieing with you in ribaldry and disgusting their readers with a reply to the fulminations of a contemptible wretch.’’ -- Cooperstown Federalist
KORAN FOR SALE
JUST RECEIVED, and for sale at the Otsego Bookstore:
THE ALKORAN OF MAHOMET
-- price, in one vol. 2 dolls -- in two d(itt)o. bound in calf and neatly gilt -- with a copious preliminary discourse, and abounding with large explanatory notes, 7d. 50 cts.
COMMENT: This is probably one of the several editions of ``The Koran; Commonly Called the Alkoran of Mahomet,’’ which had been translated into French in 1649, and first appeared in an American edition in 1806, translated into English, in Springfield, Mass.
American interest in the Arabic world was very great at this time, because of constant seizure of American ships and citizens by the so-called Barbary States of Tripoli, Tunis, and Algeria.
This interest would not end until the American naval victory over Tripoli in 1815.
TAKE NOTICE
Strayed from the subscriber, on the last of February, nine SHEEP (eight ewes and one weather) marked with a half crop under side of the left, and a slope from the underside of the right ear. Whoever will return said Sheep, or give information where they may be found, shall receive a generous recompence.
JACOB EDSON.
Milford, May 17, 1810.
COMMENT: ``We are poor little sheep, who have gone astray, Baa, Baa, Baa.’’
Jacob Edson (1787-1870) was the first lawyer to settle in Milford, in 1796.
``Mr. Edson was a regular read lawyer but was never admitted to the Bar, but he done all kinds of law business.’’
He also ran a tavern at Edson Corners in Milford.
His name appears frequently in early Milford Town Minutes. and was Town Clerk in 1815. He was born in Bridgewater, Mass. on April 15, 1787 and died about 1870 in Broome County, New York. An old Tory named Nathaniel Shelp liked to drink at Edson’s Tavern, leading to the following ditty:
``I wonder why old Shelp don’t sing And make old Jake Edson’s Bar-room ring And turn his old hat outside in And wipe the tobacco juice from his chin?’’
Columns
Otsego Herald: Koran for sale
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From Fly Creek: Revving up for spring
Time to bring you up to date on Fly Creek’s happy clambering into Spring. First, the eatery scene. “Is Jerry’s open yet?” The answer is, “Oh, yes!” The porches are freshly stained; the lawns a uniform green, and the hop vines are already climbing the posts on the covered side deck. Blue and I went up there to lunch earlier this week, and I celebrated spring with my traditional bacon, onion and Swiss cheese hamburger. We two sat on the deck, enjoying the broad view and some spectacular clouds marching across, up toward Schuyler Lake.
Continued ... -
In These Otsego Hills: More from 1986 ...
This week we continue with the discussion of telephone service from the pre-dial days. On March 12 we noted that: “No one has yet produced a telephone directory from pre-dial days, but Doug Preston of New Hartford recalls that some business (which one?) in the village had the phone number 7.”
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Home Notes: Celebrations abound at the Thanksgiving Home
April was a month of celebrations and much to appreciate. We had a 90th birthday celebration for Wanda Noyes on April 4 including her family and friends. Personal care staff Dee Bouck worked with residents to hand paint Easter eggs for the tree in the activity room.
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In These Otsego Hills: 1986 continues ...
This week we continue our journey through the columns of 1986 with the answer to the question “for whom, according to tradition, was Hannah’s Hill named?”
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Book Notes: Baseball book features local contributors
Baseball is part of the nation’s fabric. Most kids have a memory of the game either from playing Little League, attending a major league contest or meeting a favorite player. In Cooperstown that feeling is magnified since we are the official home of baseball. We get to see firsthand what has made the sport the national pastime.
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From Fly Creek: Ya really wanna know?
SETTING: Fly Creek General Store. CAST: Assorted seated geezers, drinking coffee. [Door opens, enter heavy-set geezer; walking slowly with wide stance, maybe prostatitis.]
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In These Otsego Hills: Returning to 1986 ...
For the past several years now we have undertaken sharing some of the area’s oral history we have collected over the years that we have written this column. Therefore, this year, we would like to go back to 1986 to share that rather unusual year. Those who were here then no doubt remember that it was that year that the village celebrated the bicentennial of its founding.
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From Fly Creek: For reasons unknowable
[Jim’s reached back to 2002 to share one of his favorite columns.] My father was born as the last century began into a river village in tidewater Maryland. He told me once of a man there in his boyhood who, like so many, made a thin living tonging for oysters in the cold months and, in the hot and humid ones, crabbing and raising vegetables.
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In These Otsego Hills: CCS balancing act ... side two
Last week we shared a number of activities in which students at CCS can participate. We thought it was an impressive, if not overwhelming, list. And we are indeed pleased that the young people of our area have these opportunities. However, we think it is also important to keep in mind that these undertakings do have a cost associated with them. They are not free. In fact there are, no doubt, those who would say they do not come cheap.
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From Fly Creek: A graceful crowd
Make of this what you will, friends. I feel I’m really meant to share it with you. Despite good medication for my Parkinsonism, every four or five weeks I can sensethe symptoms building up on me, giving me more than ordinary trouble. Lately it’s been falls, and last week brought a typical one. I’d gone out to get the paper, moving along with penguin steps on the snowcoved ice patches, and usingmy spike-tipped cane the waya climber uses an ice axe. But circumstances overcame me. Parkinson’s wipes out the possibility of multi-tasking.
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In These Otsego Hills: This and that and the other side ...
We note that the CCS Class of 2012 is presenting its senior class play, “Snow White” by Tim Kelly, this week with performances 7:30 p.m Thursday and Friday, March 29 and 30, and at 11 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 31. All performances will be at the Nicolas J. Sterling Auditorium at the Middle/High School.
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In These Otsego Hills: That green thing ...
Of late we have noticed that our email inbox has been much busier than usual. In fact, we find ourselves hard pressed to keep up with all the various messages we receive. As a result we suspect we have not answered some in as timely a fashion as might be thought appropriate.
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From Fly Creek: What you need to know
In their last Sunday’s bulletins, all 84 churches of Otsego County were to have carried announcements of an important meeting; most of them did. But because the announcement is so important, and not just to the churched, here it is again.
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Book Notes: Living the magic of ‘Hoosier’
A lot of people consider “Hoosiers” the best sports film of all time. The 1986 classic follows the exploits of a fictional small town Indiana high school basketball team in 1952 as it attempts to achieve the impossible dream of a state championship. The story is inspired by the true life achievement of the 1954 Milan team, who with an enrollment of only 161 students shocked big city power Muncie Central on a last second shot to win the state title. It’s the kind of sports story that represents something that is hard to grasp unless you live in a small town.
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In These Otsego Hills: The most perfect village... home to heavy industry?
We suspect we would get a whole lot more accomplished if we spent less time thinking, pondering and musing about things. In fact, there is a good possibility we might actually have completed our goal of cleaning the basement if we only focused on the task at hand, instead of trying to figure out the world around us. It almost makes us wonder if it is possible to think too much about things. We certainly hope not because should that be the case, we are in deep trouble.
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Up On Hawthorn Hill: The past in the present
Clichés abound about the value of photographs. Most are probably true at least to a certain extent. What I do know about an image is that it represents something of the past that is not the pastitself. But that is the power of any image. It represents something that once was. The beauty of an image, revisited, is that it functions as a catalystfor reliving in the present a past experience. My own view, one that I thank the Spanish writer Jorge Luis Borges for, is that all we ever can experience is the present.
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Home Notes: Workshops held for Thanksgiving Home residents
We welcomed Linda Keller, Ph.D. of the Bassett Research Institute and Ida Baker of NYCAMH who presented a six-week workshop for residents and staff.
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From Fly Creek: Late-winter hamlet news
Well, at least I’m “guessing” it’s late winter now — in the winter that wasn’t. But, if not snow, I can provide a flurry of Fly Creek news to share with you, scooping Associated Press, Reuter’s, and United Press International, not to mention all local news services except our General Store.
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In These Otsego Hills: Waiting for spring to have sprung ...
Difficult as it to believe, both January and February seem to have flown by and we find ourselves turning the calendar over to the month of March, which we have long thought is one of the more dreary months of the year. Of course, as in the pastthere are signs of spring as reflected by the tapping of the maple trees. For many years, the trees sprouted buckets to capture their all important sap. However, we now know to look for the sap collection lines that are strung from tree to tree.
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Book Notes: Kennedy: a unique individual
It’s been almost 50 years since the Kennedy assassination shocked the nation. Since then much has been written about President John F. Kennedy and whether he would have achieved his destiny (whatever that may have been) if he had lived. It is said he inspired young people in a way that has never been equaled. And there is the notion of Camelot, espoused by his widow Jackie, that there will never be a time of hope and promise like that again.
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From Fly Creek: Revving up for spring
